HOMEMADE BANANA KETCHUP

Banana ketchup is a staple Filipino dipping sauce. It is probably more popular and more consumed than tomato ketchup. A lot of Filipino dishes are best eaten with this sweet condiment. It is hard to come by here in London and if ever I manage to get my hands on one, it doesn't seem to be as nice as I remember. I thought of making my own and upon research chanced upon some recipes. How interesting to find that banana ketchup is actually not just a Filipino thing. Some recipes had raisins and tomato in it so I imagine that there must be a chutney like taste going. However, Filipino banana ketchup is what I had in mind.


I was unable to find a recipe that I liked so decided to do it the fun way: by experimenting. I used plantain because there's no saba (cardaba) bananas here. The bananas has to be the starchy variety such as the two mentioned. It also has to be semi ripe. It has to be sweet and just a bit sour. Banana ketchup is not as acidic as tomato ketchup. The taste of bananas is actually not at the forefront. I thought only garlic and onions can add that interesting twist of flavour, and I was right. I added some chopped chillies to make it spicy although it also has to have lots of ground black pepper. It was a lovely golden colour until I decided to make it look like the real thing. Maybe I'll skip that part next time.


By the way, don't put it in a bottle like I did. Once refrigerated, it behaved like ketchup should and needed a lot of coaxing to get it out. A wide mouth jar is less troublesome. Lesson learned.

Ingredients:


1 semi-ripe plantain
1 3/4 c. water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsps. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 red chilli, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
food colouring (optional)


Method:


Slice the bananas and put in a saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the ingredients are cooked. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add food colouring if you wish. A little bit of red and yellow would result to a red orange colour, the usual colour of banana ketchup. Leave to cool then transfer to a wide mouth jar. Store in the refrigerator.

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Serve with

Asian Fried Chicken Niblets

Crispy Unfried Chicken

Filipino Unfried Chicken

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YANG CHOW FRIED RICE

Yang Chow or Yeung Chow fried rice is a rice dish that is more simply as listed special fried rice in restaurant menus. What's special about it is that it is a complete meal in itself although it may also be eaten with other dishes. I once saw a TV chef cook this, then serve it in little bowls. She said that it was a snack and should be eaten with chopsticks as each bowl only holds 3 spoonfuls. That must really take a lot of restrain as dig in is what you are wont to do when faced with a steaming bowl of fragrant fried rice. All the other ingredients adds a variety of tastes to each spoonful. 

TURKEY SALTIMBOCCA

Thanksgiving is not a big event here in England, even if the pilgrims who started the tradition of Thanksgiving are English. The turkeys here are probably celebrating in secret, thankful that they are not to be eaten...yet. Turkey and trimmings is the traditional English Christmas dinner so the celebration will be short lived.

Turkey is such a big bird and it is no mean feat to go through the rigours of preparing and cooking it. If you don't want to go through all that or have only a few guests and don't need a whole turkey, turkey portions are a wise option. This very easy but really delicious turkey saltimbocca recipe makes a festive dinner in no time. It is traditionally made with veal but also done with pork or chicken. So why not turkey? 

Whoever thought of this recipe was so right in giving it that name. Saltimbocca literally means "jump in the mouth" in Italian. When you taste the first mouthful, you'll understand why. The dish is so delicious that those words were probably uttered as an involuntary plea to the food. The prosciutto and sage transforms the flavour of the turkey altogether. A sweet glaze of marsala and balsamic vinegar balances the salty flavour of the prosciutto and adds another dimension to its flavours. You won't believe that a handful of ingredients and a few easy steps will result to an amazing meal. Now, that is one good reason to celebrate.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. 

Ingredients:

1 turkey breast
2 tbsps. lemon juice
4 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (parma ham)
8 sage leaves
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. Marsala wine
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps. sugar
ground black pepper


Method:

Make 4 thin diagonal slices from the turkey breast. Sandwich each slice between two sheets of baking paper and flatten with a meat tenderizer (using the smooth side) to make thin escalopes. Season the turkey with lemon juice. Sprinkle sparingly with the flour. Cover each escalope with a slice of proscutto, then arrange two sage leaves on the top. Secure the sage leaves with cocktail sticks. Heat up the butter and olive oil in a pan. On medium heat, fry the escalopes with the turkey side down for 2-3 minutes or until light brown. Turn over and fry for another 2 minutes. When all of the escalopes are done, transfer them to a serving dish. Deglaze the pan with the marsala and balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper and sugar. Simmer for a few minutes until syrupy. Use as glaze for the saltimbocca before serving with potatoes, polenta or orzo.


All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011

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CHICKEN ARROZ CALDO

The healing and comforting properties of chicken soup is legendary and is known and accepted worldwide. Each country has their own kind of chicken soup. It is one dish that is best when home made. The love and care that went into making it makes it taste so delicious.


The Kulinarya Cooking Club's theme for this month is Arroz Caldo, which is the Philippine chicken soup. The word arroz means rice and caldo means broth so the two put together means a dish of rice in broth. It is basically a well flavoured rice porridge. The name may be translated very simply but it is actually a very wholesome and tasty dish with chicken, garlic, onions and ginger. This is the best thing to have when you have cough or colds or just feeling under the weather. The healing properties of chicken plus the antioxidant properties of garlic, onion, ginger and pepper makes arroz caldo the best tasting medicine you can ever have.


I have cooked my arroz caldo in a slightly different manner (although it is still essentially the same) because my children do not like "bits" in the porridge. After sautéing the garlic, onions and ginger, I cooked the whole chicken (in the style of chicken rice) in the stock first before straining and using the stock to cook the rice. The chicken is more tender and succulent when cooked this way. It is then used to top the porridge along with toasted garlic, spring onions, ginger shreds and egg. Just looking at it makes me feel good already.

Ingredients:


1 whole chicken
2 tbsps. butter plus 1 tbsp. of oil
2 tbsps. crushed garlic
2 onions, sliced
2" x 2" piece of ginger, shredded
about 3 litres of home made chicken stock
1 c. of uncooked Jasmine, Milagrosa or long grain rice
1/2 c. uncooked glutinous rice
spring onions, cut into rounds
ground black pepper
extra shredded ginger for topping
sesame oil
fish sauce and lime wedges or calamansi halves to serve


Method:

Stuff the chicken with a few slices of ginger and a spring onion (cut into 3 pieces). Set aside.

Sauté the garlic in the butter and oil on low heat until just golden. Remove half and set aside for topping. 

Add the ginger and spring onions and half a teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are softened and translucent.

Add the stock and the whole chicken (Use a rich home made chicken stock made by simmering chicken bones with onions and ginger for a few hours. This would really make a difference in the taste of your arroz caldo). Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off after 30 minutes but leave the chicken in the pot, covered, for another 30 minutes. Take the chicken out of the stock and transfer to a dish. 

Brush with sesame oil and cover to keep it from drying out. Slice before using as topping for the porridge.


Strain the stock. 

Wash the  two kinds of rice and put in a big pot with the strained stock. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 50 minutes. This has to be stirred every once in a while. The rice tends to settle and will stick to the pot if not stirred. The cooked porridge should be viscous, not watery nor claggy. The rice grains should break out but not melt altogether. 


Ladle the rice porridge into bowls, top with slices of chicken and sprinkle with spring onions, toasted garlic, shredded ginger and a raw egg. 

Get well soon.

Thank you to this month's hosts, Joy for choosing this month's theme. Visit the other member's blogs to see their arroz caldo recipes.

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BEEF GOULASH

Memories of summer is now in the distant past. The air is once again cold and damp. The trees are leafless and the ground full of fallen leaves waiting to be cleared. Our barbecuing days are over, at least for now. Warming stews and soups are what's best to eat at this time of year. 


With all the end-of-the-year festivities we are faced with, it it best not to fuss with the everyday meals. One of the easiest and fuss free dishes I like to cook is goulash. It is a rustic stew usually made with beef but can also made with pork, lamb or veal. The ingredient that gives it its character is paprika. After the searing and sauteing process it just sits in the oven to develop that rich taste and tender texture that we all look forward to. It is so versatile, too. It is equally delicious with boiled potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. Make this dish one of your favourite winter warmers.

Ingredients:

1 kg. braising steak, cut into cubes
flour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 tbsps. butter or butter substitute
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, sliced
1 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsps. tomato paste
2 c. beef stock
1/4 c. sherry (optional)
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1/2 of a small red sweet pepper, sliced
1/4 c. crème fraîche or sour cream


Method:

Slice the beef into approximately 2"x1"x1/4 thick slices and dust lightly with the seasoned flour. Shake off the excess. Brown, a few at a time, in a mixture of the olive oil and butter. Set aside. In the same pan, saute the garlic for 1 minute, then add the onions and cook until soft. Add the paprika and the tomato paste. Blend well. Transfer to an oven proof casserole then add the beef, the 2 c. of boiling stock and the sprig of thyme. Stir gently then cook in the oven for 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until the beef is tender. Add the sweet pepper strips after an hour of cooking. When done, stir in the crème fraîche. Serve with tagliatelle, boiled potatoes or rice.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011

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PRAWN AND CHICKEN LAKSA

Before I met my husband, my knowledge of Malaysian cuisine was at an absolute zero level. He introduced me to this wonderful cuisine that was so different and quite the opposite of Filipino cuisine. Tasting the strong spices for the first time was a bit of a shock to my unaccustomed palate. After getting used the heat and spices, I found that it was a very exciting and interesting cuisine and one that would leave you pining for it.

SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS

Yams, the delicious orange coloured tuber that takes the spotlight on Thanksgiving are actually sweet potatoes. These vitamin packed sweet spuds are very abundant and well loved in Southeast Asia although the most common ones are starchy unlike the more common moist fleshed, orange coloured variety. They are eaten all year round as a snack item or ingredient and are delicious on their own or used in recipes. 


I made these little snacks from delicious sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes I've used here are moist, bright orange ones. After being cooked and mashed, they are simply mixed with eggs and flour to make puffy, fluffy little dumplings. They are just the perfect nibble to go with your cup of tea. Serve with a light dusting of confectioner's sugar or rolled in cinnamon sugar. 

Ingredients:


2 sweet potatoes sliced crosswise
2 eggs
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder


Method:

Put the sweet potato slices in a bowl and microwave on full power for 4 minutes. Pass through a potato ricer or mash with a fork. Measure 1 c. of this (packed) and mix with the eggs, butter, sugar, salt, flour and baking powder. Heat up a pan with enough oil to deep fry. Drop scant teaspoonfuls of the batter into the oil when hot. Use a teaspoon to scoop up the batter and another to push it off the spoon. Fry on medium heat until golden. The oil should not be too hot or the outside of the dumplings will be too brown and the inside uncooked. Dust with confectioner's sugar or roll in cinnamon sugar before serving.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011

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CHUNKY CHILLI CON CARNE

It is Guy Fawkes night in here in England on November 5. The story goes that in 1605, a group of people conspired to overthrow the King by blowing up the Parliament. Luckily, the attempt was foiled when hints of the plot was leaked to authorities. A certain guy called Guy Fawkes (yes, that's his real name) was caught in the cellar of the parliament building with 36 barrels of gunpowder. To celebrate the happy turn of events, people lit up bonfires. From then on, November 5 was called Bonfire Night and people celebrate with fireworks and bonfires where they burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. 

It is amazing to know that terrorism is not a new thing. Another interesting fact is that the plotters were a group of Catholics who felt that the King was restricting the practice of their religion. There's a funny but unconfirmed twist to the story: the gunpowder they had was so old and useless and wouldn't ignite anyway had they tried. 


Out of all that hoopla was born an interesting celebration. Warming food is usually eaten on bonfire night, usually soups and stews plus the omnipresent English sausages. What else would be good to eat on a cold night than chilli con carne. It would surely light the fire in you. I chose to use diced beef brisket rather than minced beef because I want it to have more texture. The open texture of brisket plus the marbling of fat and sinew have masses more flavour than mince and doesn't turn into mush when cooked. I added both red kidney and cannellini beans at the end. Served with baked potatoes or rice, with or without a bonfire, it makes a very enjoyable meal.

Ingredients:

3 tbsps. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 kilo of beef brisket, cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds, ground
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 green chilli, chopped
1 400 gm. tin of chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
1 400 gm. tin of cooked red kidney beans
1 400 gm. tin of cooked cannellini beans
2 tsps. cocoa powder
salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat up a heavy pot and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onions and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Stir and put the lid on. Cook on low heat until softened. Take the lid off and stir the onions until it starts to color. 

Add the beef, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, tomato paste and green chilli. Fry on medium high heat for five minutes. The beef should be sealed and fragrant at this stage and there should be very little liquid in the mixture. 

Add the canned tomatoes and the stock cube. Fill the can with water and add to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat until the beef is tender (about 1 1/2 hours). 

Drain the two kinds of beans and add to the pot together with the cocoa powder. Bring back to the boil and simmer for another 20 minutes until the beans are tender but not mushy. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste.

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ASIAN FRIED CHICKEN NIBLETS

Chicken wings have always been very popular street food in Asia. They are one of the inexpensive munchable snacks eaten on the go. There is no denying that they are fun to eat. Because they have a lot of bones and skin, they are extra tasty, too. The Western world have caught on and have introduced their own take on this now trendy chicken part. Unfortunately, because they are now hot commodities, their price have changed to match their status.

This recipe will be appreciated anywhere on the globe. These little wings have been cut at the joint to make tasty little niblets. The Asian trinity of garlic, ginger and spring onions plus chopped chillies give them an exciting flavour that will make you want for more.

Ingredients:


16-20 chicken wings
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. chopped red chilli
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg white
corn flour
cooking oil for frying
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
2 tbsps. sugar
cooking oil for frying
sweet chilli sauce


Method:


Clean the chicken wings. Cut off and discard the wing tips. Cut the wings at the joint and slash each piece once diaginally on each side. This will help the marinade penetrate the meat. 

Mix the soy and fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chilli, sesame oil and sugar. Add in the wings and leave to marinade for half an hour. 

Put the wings and the marinade in a pan. Bring to a boil and simmer while stirring until all the marinade is absorbed into the chicken (5-10 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl and add in the egg white and 2 tbsps. of corn flour and mix very well.  Dredge lightly in some more corn flour and shake off the excess. Heat up the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. 

When all the pieces are done, heat up a clean wok until very hot. Add the fried chicken pieces, spring onions and sugar. Toss until the sugar melts. 

Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

Please support Adora's Box by making your Amazon.com and mymemories.com (use the code STMMMS55174) purchases from this site. Click on their respective banners to proceed to their websites. It will not cost you a single cent more but will help sustain this blog. Thank you.

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